Barney's Blog

Pressing matters

Evening all, Barney McGrew here again – equine legend and sex symbol.

Well, there’s been a lot of comings and goings at Denton Hall over the past week, with all sorts of press people wanting to interview The Gaffer ahead of the big Ebor meeting at York next week.

Sadly, Azure Blue - or Bluey as I like to call her - won't now run in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes because she pulled a shoe in the paddock and has a slightly sore foot. It's disappointing for everyone but there will be plenty more big races for her and I'm sure she'll prove herself at Group 1 level at some stage.

We still have plenty of interest at York, with Dakota Gold (Goldy), Gale Force Maya (Galey), Brunch (IBrunchy), and Northern Express (Northy), all holding entries.

It’ll be nice to see Goldy back on his favourite track. He hasn’t had a run since May and we all know he loves it soft, so fingers crossed for a bit of rain. He’s now one behind Tim Easterby’s Copper Knight in the race to be the horse that’s won the most races at York - Copper Knight’s on seven victories so it would be nice to see Goldy equalize.

My beef is that not one of the miserable buggers who visited the yard to do interviews bothered to bring me a bag of carrots. We even had someone from the British Champions Series here – a lovely female human called Anna Wilson, and she came empty-handed too! If anyone should understand the importance of looking after champions, it’s surely the British Champions Series, and I’m still a champion, even if I am 20.

Anyway, I’ve told The Gaffer in no uncertain terms to make it a condition of all future interviews and visits by the media: “No bag of carrots for Barney – not bloody interview.” It’s as simple as that.

I wasn’t happy with that Rhys Elliott, the apprentice, either. He brought the Anna human over to my field where I was having a pick of grass with my mates Boy Douglas (Dougie), and an unraced young un’ who’s been named Maveriko (Mavvy). The bloody Rhys human enticed us over to the fence by banging on a feed bucket, but when we got there, there was bugger all in it.. The cheeky sod will get a kick up the arse if he tries that trick again.

The only human in my good books is one of the yard's owners, John Barker, who popped in with a nice big bag of carrots. Thank you John - you're my favourite.

MEANWHILE, we’re still banging the winners in at tracks around the country. It was nice to see Tinto win comfortably under the David Nolan human at Redcar last week.

As you can see from the picture below, he was wearing cheekpieces for the first time. Cheekpieces are a form of headgear used to help a horse avoid being distracted by what's in its peripheral vision, so they can concentrate on what's in front of them, and get on with the job. I've told The Gaffer to try them on a few of the staff.

During the week, I was dead chuffed to see Midnight Lir win so well at Beverley for the Denton Hall Partnership.

Middy, as I like to call him, absolutely scorched away in the final furlong, and I was especially pleased for a nice young human called Toby Caine, who’s the youngest member of the syndicate. He was on holiday with his mum and dad, but I could hear his cheers all the way from Majorca. Get in there, Toby lad - bring me some Majorcan carrots back!

I CAN’T let the week pass without wishing The Lionesses good luck in the World Cup final tomorrow. I’ll be watching the telly in my stable, and I’m sure they’re going to do it. I just hope it doesn’t lead to the humans round here singing that awful song again – Three Lions on a bloody shirt. The first human I hear singing it will get hoofed so hard, they’ll land in the muck heap on the other side of the yard.

BY the way, did you hear about the bloke who was spotted taking a lion down the road in Bishop Auckland the other day?

A police officer shouted to him: “You need to take that lion to Flamingoland zoo immediately!”

The man promised that he would but the next day, the copper was astonished to see him walking back down the same street with the lion.

“I told you to take that animal to the zoo!” shouted the officer.

“I did,” replied the man. “We’re off to the beach today!”

That’s all from me for now, folks. Here's a video of me and my chums being brought ot the fence under false pretences by that Rhys human. I'll shove that bloody feed bucket on his head next time.

 Bring carrots. Lots of love